


Deceitful Duality

by KittyT



Series: Deceitful Duality [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Being an Idiot, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Creature Harry Potter, Creature Inheritance, Cunning Harry Potter, Dark Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Harry Potter Has Issues, Harry Potter is Not the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry feels like something is missing, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Mentor Severus Snape, Multi, Polyamory, Slytherin house is one big happy family, Supportive Narcissa Black Malfoy, Violent Thoughts, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:55:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25513168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyT/pseuds/KittyT
Summary: Harry James Potter grew up abused and mistreated. His beloved Aunt Petunia took care of him in secret when his Uncle Vernon and Dudley were away. Her small acts of love kept him from completely going crazy, but only just. He knew how to love. He knew how to care for others and treat them with kindness. He loved to care for animals and plants. All thanks to his Aunt Petunia. And best of all, Harry learned how to lie, how to use people's emotions to his benefit, and how to get people to admire him. The Wizarding World knew about the Black Family Madness, but they didn’t remember the Evans Family...nor their...magical ancestry. Thanks to Voldemort, Lily Evans had gotten her wish. The perfect child to bring the Evans family back to power. Sorry Dumbledore...James, looks like you lost.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Daphne Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy & Harry Potter
Series: Deceitful Duality [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848340
Comments: 9
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to start off slow, but things will really kick off in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' when Sirius escapes. I highly recommend starting from the beginning because its going to be like a puzzle. It's slow at first, but every piece matters. Romance will start to develop from this book, but it won't be stressed for a while. I'm hoping to finish 'The Sorcerer's Stone' within the next week. Please feel free to comment! Knowing what you think about the story and how you feel about it really helps to keep me writing.
> 
> Thoughts/Voices - Italics

Petunia Dursley nee Evans filled her glass of wine with a sigh. Some of her blonde hair fell into her face when she looked toward the stairs. There was little Harry Potter dusting her husband's prized certificates from work. No matter how often she complained to Vernon about pushing the child too hard he just shrugged her off. He'd look at her and say something like, “You shouldn’t have to work around the house, pet.” or “Some discipline might do the freak good!” Petunia didn’t agree in the slightest. She had married Vernon because he was normal and could provide cover for her. After being shadowed by her younger sister for seven years, she wanted nothing to do with the magical world. Yet, no matter how much jealousy she had towards her younger sister, she was still her younger sister. Petunia had tried to enjoy having her sister at her wedding, but Lily was a reminder of something she wasn’t. A witch. 

Not receiving a Hogwarts letter like her younger sister had shattered her. What little girl didn’t go around pretending to be a fairy or witch? Pretending to make potions and meet princesses? Then, she finds out that she wasn’t one of them, but her sister was. Their parents had thought that Lily was a gift. Anything that Petunia accomplished wasn’t as wonderful as the spells and runes her sister learned. None of her perfect grades or her awards were able to compare. She just wasn't a witch.

Petunia had distanced herself from that world as much as possible. She kept up communication with her sister up to a couple months after their children were born. After a few months, the phone line went dead and the letters would come back stamped with “Return to Sender.” That frustrated the oldest sister to no end. It wasn’t like Lily to disappear without a “Goodbye.” Petunia had to nurse her already fragile mind until she heard from her sister again. She worried herself sick. It wasn't like she could ask their parents because they had been killed. When Harry showed up on their doorstep a year later, Petunia’s worst fear had come true. Her sister was gone, and what was even worse was that there was nothing Petunia could do about it. She didn’t have magic. She couldn’t have turned up to Godric Hollow to save her sister’s life. She was a  **muggle** . All she could do to honor her sister’s memory was to take in her orphaned nephew. 

What would Lily say to her when she saw this? Her sister would be so disappointed in her. She couldn’t even stand up for herself against her own husband. Dudley would go running to his father if she tried to discipline him or help Harry with his work. Her own son didn’t listen to her, and her husband threatened to throw her out. She couldn’t protect her nephew or raise her son the way she wanted to. She was stuck.

Petunia laughed bitterly to herself, knocking back the rest of her wine. She was a stay at home mother who wasn’t allowed to do anything but rest on her laurels and gossip with the neighbors. God forbid she tried to pick up a broom or raise her voice. She groaned and rested her head on her arms.  _ That's not how Mom and Dad raised you, Tunie! How dare you become so weak!' _ Petunia could hear her sister's words ringing through her mind. Over and over and over again. It was like Lily's ghost was haunting her. Whispering in her ears, placing things she wished to forget in her mind, and pulling things out of buried boxes to wave in her face. Petunia had always heard voices, but this happened right as she found Harry on her doorstep.  _ 'Disgrace. Disgrace. Disgrace. Come on, Tunie! You know what you were taught! How could you push it all away!? Are you scared I'll beat you again, Tunie?' _ Petunia started to hit her head against the countertop. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

_ 'What are you DOING, PETUNIA!?' _

“I’m so sorry, Lily. Please my little flower, please help me, please guide me.” Petunia whimpered as fat tears rolled down her face. Oh how she used to be so beautiful. Her blonde hair like golden waves with glowing skin and wide hips. She dug her nails into her skin as her anger grew.  _ 'Vernon, you pig!' _ Her breathing got shallower as she sobbed at her kitchen table. This was not the life she wanted. This wasn't the life her parents taught her to live! She just wanted to get out from under her sister’s shadow!  _ 'HOW COULD I LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND!?' _ Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of a small pair of feet walking towards her caused her to lift her head. The redness of her forehead made it glaringly obvious about what was going on. Her dull brown eyes looked directly into sparkly emerald green ones.  _ 'Harry. Harry. Oh my little baby boy~! It's Harry, Tunie! It's Haaarrrryyy~!' _ Lily's voice giggled excitedly in her mind.

“Auntie?” Harry asked softly. The six year old glanced at the empty bottle of wine and the tear tracks down her face. His eyes looked sad and she knew that he had heard her. Harry Potter was like her sister, Lily, in so many ways.  _ 'My baby boy~! HAHAHA!' _ At such a young age, he was smart beyond comprehension and soaked things up like a sponge. Harry was kind to others, didn’t raise his voice or cause a fuss, and he enjoyed making others laugh. Even his eyes were a splitting image of Lily’s.  _ 'He's just like mummy, alright! He'll be even greater than mummy! Teach him, Tunie. Teach him.' _

“I’m okay, Harry. Aunty just had a little too much to drink. Did you finish your chores for the day?” Petunia rubbed her eyes and gave the child a watery smile. Harry nodded his head, and reached out to place a hand on hers. She took her other hand and covered his with it. Harry gave her a bright smile.

“Aunty, you know...I like you more than uncle. He’s mean to me, but you’re always trying to help me. I wish he didn’t yell at you all the time. I don’t like it when you cry and neither does mummy.” Harry said and looked down. Petunia’s eyes widened as she looked at her nephew and she pulled him into a tight hug. The little boy hugged her back as tightly as he could manage when he felt a tear hit his ear. The soft sniffles of his aunt made him sad, and he vowed to work as hard as possible so she’d never cry again. 

“Since we still have a few hours before Vernon and Dudley are home, why don’t you go and watch the telly? Don’t worry, I won’t tell your uncle or cousin.” Petunia pulled away and patted Harry’s cheek. Harry grinned at her, the scar across his lips becoming more prominent when he ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. Petunia watched him go with a deep sadness in her heart. She couldn’t let her sister’s child be abused anymore.  _ '...and neither does mummy.' _ Petunia bit her lip and looked down at the back of her hands. Faintly, she could see the markings she's had since childhood. The ones that matched Lily's.

She knew Vernon wouldn't let Harry leave until he was of age or pulled out by Dumbledore. Not with the handsome amount of money Dumbledore put into Vernon's pocket. Petunia couldn't let this child suffer for the rest of his life. She knew he had it in him. Magic. It was time she got over her jealousy. Lily had only ever been nice to her and she let her jealousy get the better of her.  _ ‘No,’  _ Petunia thought to herself.  _ ‘No, that just won’t do at all...I was the smarter one. I was the stronger one! Lilly had magic but I had  _ **_it_ ** _ too! I was  _ **_better_ ** _ than her at  _ **_it_ ** _. Her magic just gave her a boost.' _

With a newfound purpose in her mind ( _ 'Teach him. Teach him. Teach him. Teach him.' _ ), Petunia put her empty glass in the sink and started towards the house phone. She picked it up and dialed the number that she had tried to burn from her mind all those years ago. She could hear Lily's laughter in her mind.  _ 'I told you it would come in handy~' _ The line rang and rang until the voicemail sounded, and she sighed while hanging up the phone. _ ‘Of course, they wouldn’t answer the phone. They wouldn’t want to talk to you at all, Petunia. What were you thinking?  _ -’ The sound of a soft crack cut her out of her thoughts, which was shortly followed by a knock at the front door. Petunia whirled around and looked at the door suspiciously,  _ 'ANSWER IT!' _ Lily's voice shrieked, before peeking through the peephole. She was vaguely aware of Harry coming up behind her when she gasped and rushed to open the door.

The locked clicked open and she hurriedly swung the door open, nearly hitting herself with the knob. Standing there was a man with dark shoulder-length hair and casual clothes, an expectant look on his face.

“Severus!” Petunia gasped in shock.

“Petunia,” The potions professor said cordially, “I believe that was you who called. How may I be of assistance?” 

Harry peeked from behind his aunt at the man feeling like he knew him in some way. Carefully, he stepped forward and placed his hand out, “Hello, I’m Harry. Mummy says I can trust you.”

The man looked down at him with a slightly pained look in his eyes before he shook Harry’s hand and smiled gently.

“Hello, Harry. I’m Professor Snape to you. I'm sure your mummy would be happy to know I'm here to help you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets a little taste of what he can do and his uncle and cousin get a special birthday surprise.

Parseltongue - _"Speech in Italics"_

Five years had passed since Petunia Dursley realized that she had to do something to ensure her nephew’s future. She worked as hard as she could in secret, using what little time she had when Vernon would take Dudley and go somewhere for the day. Unfortunately, working in secret meant that she couldn’t speak up for her beloved nephew, Harry. She taught him things that Vernon would kill her for if he found out. _‘You should just kill him instead Tunie. Make it look like an accident!’_ When Vernon or Dudley was home, Harry was given the bare minimum that they would allow. When they were gone, however, is when she was able to coddle and coo at her nephew. _‘Our little boy, Tunie~ He’s yours now, too.’_

Petunia knew that her beloved nephew would be turning eleven soon. It was on her eleventh birthday that Lily had received her Hogwarts letter. Severus said that every child received their acceptance letter at eleven, so Harry would be leaving soon. She hoped that she could finish her training before he left, and incorporate some of his magical histories as well. If Harry showed up in the magical world with little to no information he’d be eaten alive. Petunia hummed as she cut her hair. Today seemed like it would be an interesting day. It was Dudley’s birthday after all.

“Come, little children, I’ll take thee away, Into a land of enchantment…”

For almost eleven years, Harry Potter did not complain. Harry Potter did not put up a fuss about the way he was treated, because he learned that only made the treatment worse. The bruises on his back and the scars across his lips proved as much. That’s why Harry didn’t complain when he was woken by his Aunt Petunia knocking on his room door.

“Harry, up!” She cried through the door, “Get up!”

Harry sighed and thought about pretending that he was dead, but knew that would just cause trouble. His uncle might actually try to throw his dead body into the trash to be done with him. _‘Just push him down the stairs, child. Let gravity do all of the work for you..’_ Harry hummed in agreeance but knew it was futile. With his luck, his uncle would get up perfectly fine. Then, he’d be in big trouble. _'I wish Aunt Petunia would just leave the man already. He's a gross pig.'_ He thought to himself.

Harry got dressed quickly and accidentally hit his head on the low ceiling in his cupboard. He scratched at the stinging in annoyance and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. He was getting too big for the cupboard, but his uncle would rather have a heart attack before Harry got the spare room. _'That can be arranged...'_ There wasn’t a spot on the table that didn’t have a present covering it. Every year the amount of presents Dudley got just increased along with the ones he threw away. Rolling his eyes, Harry walked over to the stove to cook Dudley’s birthday breakfast. A breakfast that was usually three times the amount of his usual breakfast. Dudley was a very large child like his father, and the similarities didn’t end there. They both loved to beat Harry up for stupid things or when they just felt like it. They even had anger issues. If it wasn’t for his Aunt Petunia insisting that they get him a new pair of glasses, Harry would’ve had to tape them the number of times Dudley had broken them. _‘Auntie is always looking out for you, dearest~ Just like mummy!’_

“To keep people from wondering.” His Aunt Petunia had told Vernon when he asked her why they should spend their money on the freak child. His Aunt Petunia wasn’t bad like his uncle and cousin. As a matter of fact, his Aunt tried her best to help him stay out of trouble when she was around. When they were alone, she let him be like any other kid. She taught him what she knew from her childhood, and kept him well educated and informed. It was their little secret, just like the visitor they had almost five years ago. 

_“Severus!” Petunia gasped in shock._

_“Petunia,” The potions professor said cordially, “I believe that was you who called. How may I be of assistance?”_

_Harry peeked from behind his aunt at the man feeling like he knew him in some way. Carefully, he stepped forward and placed his hand out, “Hello, I’m Harry. Mummy says I can trust you.”_

_The man looked down at him with a slightly pained look in his eyes before he shook Harry’s hand and smiled gently._

_“Hello, Harry. I’m Professor Snape to you. I'm sure your mummy would be happy to know I'm here to help you.”_

Harry smiled at the memory and placed the plate of bacon and eggs on the table, carefully shifting some of the presents around. His aunt told him that he wasn’t allowed to mention the man to anyone, because then they’d both be in trouble. Harry didn’t want his aunt to get in trouble for his sake. Not after everything she had been doing for him! Not his beloved Aunt. A wave of anger coursed through his veins as he carefully took a seat at the table to watch his cousin open his presents. Dudley counted his presents but didn’t notice as Harry slipped a small wrapped box up his large sleeve.

“Thirty-six...That’s two less than last year!” Dudley said as he looked at his parents.

“Darling, you haven’t counted Auntie Marge’s present, see, it’s here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy.” Aunt Petunia said in her baby voice. Harry snickered mentally. He knew that voice. That meant his Aunt was annoyed and wouldn’t be messing around. He also noticed that she had cut her hair. It was no longer waist-length but ended at her shoulders with hair framing her face. _'She looks beautiful~'_ His mother's voice cooed in his head. _'Mummy, why would Auntie cut her hair? It was so beautiful long.'_ Harry questioned. His Aunt's long hair was beautiful on her, and Harry thought it made her look like a princess. _'She's freeing herself little one, just you wait and see.'_

“All right, thirty-seven then,” Dudley said as he started to turn red. Harry knew that meant there was going to be a tantrum coming along, and he watched as his aunt cleared her throat.

“And we’ll buy you another two presents while we’re out today. How’s that, Popkin? Two more presents. Okay?” She said in a placating voice.

“So I’ll have thirty...thirty…”

“Thirty-nine, sweetums.”

“Oh. Alright.” Harry rolled his eyes again. 

Dudley got busy digging into his presents when the phone rang, causing Petunia to leave the kitchen. After a few minutes, she came racing back in with a frown on her face. The frown didn’t quite reach the happy glitter in her eyes though.

“Bad news, Vernon. Mrs. Figg’s broken her leg. She can’t take him while we go out.” Mentally, Harry was celebrating. He hated going over to Mrs. Figg’s because she was the definition of a crazy cat lady. He thought his Aunt Petunia was crazy but Mrs. Figg was a different kind.

“We could phone Marge.” Uncle Vernon suggested.

“Don’t be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy.”

“What about whats-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?”

“On vacation in Majorca.” Aunt Petunia snapped at him. _‘For the love of God, just let him come with us or stay here!’_ She shouted in her head.

“You could just leave me here-” They didn’t hear him as their argument ended with Petunia announcing that Harry would have to come with them.

***

Harry sat very uncomfortably in the back of the car squashed between Piers Polkiss and Dudley. While he didn’t like being squished, Harry was quite excited to be going somewhere that wasn’t the grocery store! His Aunt and Uncle were taking Dudley and his friend to the zoo! Of course, his uncle threatened him if he stepped out of line with being locked into the cupboard, but he couldn’t help it! For some reason, ever since he was little, strange things just liked to happen around Harry. His hair grew back when his aunt had tried to cut it, and he magically ended up on the roof of his school building when he was running from Dudley. His aunt said that it’d all be explained eventually, and eventually, she explained as much as she could. Severus helped with some of it as well.

In the car, his uncle was complaining about motorcycles which jogged a memory that Harry had from this morning. _‘He’s not going to like this~’_

“I had a dream about a motorcycle. It was flying.” He casually mentioned it to his uncle. He knew that it triggered something within his uncle and couldn’t help but to poke the bear...whale? _‘I think he might be some weird thing like a blobfish. His face sure looks like one.’_ Harry thought to himself. It had a better effect than intended because Vernon almost crashed into the slowing car in front of him. He whirled around with his face turning a nasty shade of purple and yelled at the top of his lungs.

“MOTORCYCLES DON’T FLY!” Needless to say, Harry quietly celebrated in his head the whole ride there. Aunt Petunia had winked at him through the rearview mirror. _‘She approves~’_

Today the zoo was crowded by many families as they walked through each exhibit. As excited as he was to see the animals, Harry felt bad for them because he knew how it felt to be locked in a small space for hours. This was even more true when they walked into the Reptile House. Dudley and Piers had run ahead looking around for the huge, poisonous cobras and thick man-crushing pythons. _‘Hmm they could even crush Dudley..’_ Harry thought idly. Dudley had found just the snake he was looking for but it didn’t seem interested in him being there. The snake was fast asleep, curled up on its branch.

“Make it move!” Dudley whined to his father. Vernon had knocked on the glass, clearly not seeing the sign telling people not to do so. He did it a few more times at Dudley’s request before Dudley groaned and shuffled away. 

Harry walked into the spot in front of the tank that his cousin had just vacated. The snake was huge, looking like it could crush Vernon and Dudley by wrapping around them a few times. He watched as the snake carefully opened its eyes and slowly raised its head.

 _"You're such a beautiful specimen."_ Harry whispered towards the snake while staring at it for a couple of seconds before the snake winked at him! 

Harry’s eyes widened in shock and he looked around quickly before winking back at the reptile. The snake jerked its head toward Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling.

 _“I get that all the time. Humansss usssually aren't very kind towardsss usss.”_ A muffled hissing voice said.

 _“I know. It must be really annoying. I bet you wish to leave.”_ Harry nodded. He wasn’t surprised that the snake seemed to speak to him. After all, his mummy spoke to him.

 _"I wouldn't just leave, I'd tear thisss whole building apart! Filthy humanssss!"_ The snake snarled

_“Where’d you come from, anyway?”_

The snake used its tail and pointed towards the sign that read, “Boa Constrictor, Brazil.” Harry looked at the snake in sympathy. 

_“I’m assuming you’ve never been there before, or have you?”_

_"No, young one. I have been trapped in thisss dreadful box, eating mice fed to me. I wisssh to hunt and sssee the world. We all wisssh to be free. The whissspersss travel through the pipesss."_ The snake quickly uncoiled itself so its tail was loosely wrapped around the branch. Harry could almost feel the anger coming from the reptile.

_"If I could get you out, I would."_

_"I'd be forever in your debt, young one."_

"DUDLEY! MR.DURSLEY! LOOK! IT'S AWAKE!"

Suddenly, Harry felt himself get launched to the side. He landed on the floor with an “Oomph” holding his ribs. Dudley had punched him in the side in his rush to see the snake. Harry growled under his breath as he watched the snake shrink back. He could see himself in that poor reptile. His anger soared and he felt like his blood was boiling. Whispers filled his mind and around him, the other reptiles were reacting. Hisses and snarls filled the Reptile House. _‘Focus, my little lily. Focus.’_ His Aunt’s voice echoed through his head. 'He glared at his cousin and his friend as they pounded on the poor snake’s habitat. _‘How would you feel if you were in there while two dumb kids pounded on the glass!’_ Harry snarled to himself. With every thump against the glass, Harry could feel his anger rise. There was a roaring in his ears that suddenly went silent as his cousin screamed and fell forward into the tank! 

Harry could only focus on what was in front of him. Piers had barely managed to save himself by pushing off of Dudley and falling onto the ground. More screams echoed through the building from around Harry as an alarm went off. People screamed ran for the exit as the snake, no as all of the reptiles, slid out of their habitats. It quickly slithered across the floor towards Harry and coiled up behind him, just as his uncle came storming over! Vernon towered over Harry and grabbed him by his neck, screaming, "YOU LITTLE FREAK, THIS IS YOUR FAULT ISN'T IT!! YOU WON'T BE EATING FOR MONTHS, YOU HEAR ME?! MONTHS-!!"

 _"FILTHY HUMAN!"_ An angry hiss sounded startling Harry.

Vernon was cut off by the Boa Constrictor launching itself off of the ground and latching onto his throat! He screamed, dropping Harry to grab at the snake, as it coiled around his body. Harry watched from his place on the floor in shocked awe as chaos ensued. The powerful muscles of the snake's body rippled as it focused on coiling around his uncle. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the small smile that made its way onto his aunt’s face as she rushed over to him. _'Go with her, baby boy. GO, RUN!'_ Lily's voice suddenly cut through his mind. He snapped out of his awe as Petunia grabbed him by the arm and lifted him up. 

"Come, my little lily! Hurry!" She rushed out, dragging him out of the Reptile House. Harry glanced back to see Dudley pounding at the glass from inside the habitat, and the snake slithering away from his immobile uncle. 

_'You did that my little one! You did that~! HAHAHA! MY BABY BOY IS SO POWERFUL!'_ Lilly cackled as the two of them ran out of the zoo.

Harry’s mind spun like crazy,  _ ‘D-Did I do that?!’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the people who clicked on my story! To answer Ayla_chan15, Petunia and Harry can hear Lily's spirit. I wanted Lily's sacrifice to mean more than just an invisible barrier. There's more to it than them hearing her spirit, but it'll slowly be explained. She'll play an important role in each book!  
> How'd you like this chapter? I thought it'd be a fitting way to officially kick everything off! The next chapter is where things start to get a little...odd.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets a history lesson!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a bit longer because I kept on changing things. The next chapter should be out by tomorrow night! I hope you enjoy it and let me know in the comments about what you think!
> 
> ~Kitty

Harry knew that there wasn’t anything completely right in his brain. It was like he was constantly at a crossroads with what he wanted to do. Some days he was the perfect little child, but others he was slightly unhinged. He had these violently intrusive thoughts about murder and dismemberment, typically starring his uncle and cousin. They’d come out of nowhere while he’d be planting new flowers or folding laundry. What happened at the zoo was just a testament to that. He liked to think that he felt more like an animal driven by its instincts. He mentioned it to his aunt one day and she had patted him on the head.

“Unfortunately, the way your uncle and cousin treated you is what made the thoughts more prominent. But, they’re actually common in our family. Your nature is actually something very close to how you’re feeling. Let me tell you a secret, my little lily,” His aunt had whispered to him, “I get them, too.”

Harry was happy to find out that they had something in common, but it made him angry to know that it was the result of his uncle and cousin. He had asked his aunt why she called him ‘my little lily’ and she said it's because he reminds her of his mother in some ways. Harry had cried when she told him that and begged her to tell him about his mother. His Aunt Petunia had sighed and told him that it was a painful topic for her, but she’d try her best. Of course, it took some coaxing from Lily’s voice to encourage Petunia. 

About a year ago, Harry had been told about his heritage. His aunt had told him everything about his mother’s special schooling and he listened enraptured by the stories he heard. He was told that Severus _‘but you’ll call him Professor Snape, little one!’_ grew up with his mother and is a teacher at the school he’d be attending. She didn’t, however, tell him what she meant by the thoughts being common in their family. Aunt Petunia said that until he was eleven, she couldn’t tell him because of something a bad man did. 

“You’ll be a long way away from home, so you have to make the most of it. There’s so much you have to learn, and I won’t be able to teach you personally. I won’t go completely into detail because there isn’t much I’m allowed to tell you at this moment. But I will say that Severus will be coming here to help out, if possible.”

All of that came around full circle to this moment. Harry sat in the living room, kicking his legs, and humming a cartoon theme song. It had been about two weeks since the fiasco at the zoo, and it was very quiet around the house. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were admitted into the hospital and were going to stay there for a few months. When Uncle Vernon was attacked, the snake didn’t kill him but sent him into a coma. His vocal cords and lungs were damaged from the pressure and lack of air. They said it was lucky that he didn’t have a stroke since he’s overweight. The doctors have him hooked up to a bunch of machines to make sure that he’s alive. Dudley was admitted to an in-patient hospital because of the trauma he endured from being locked into the snake's habitat and watching his dad get strangled. It was safe to say that Harry wouldn’t be bothered by his Uncle and cousin for at least a few months. 

Aunt Petunia was taking advantage of this time without the terrible two. She had been taking all the time she needed to prepare for their inevitable split. Today she was going down to the lawyer’s office, and someone she knew was going to be watching Harry. While she trusted him not to damage anything, he was still a child. She couldn’t leave him at home alone. _‘It’s okay, little one~ Whoever Tunie chose to watch over you will take good care of you! I made sure of it~’_

“My little lily!” Petunia called as she walked down the stairs. She was dressed in a light blue sundress with matching wedges. Tucked under her arm was a white envelope that had very important papers inside of them. Patient records, pictures of bruises and cuts, and divorce papers. Today was the day that she’d officially be divorcing Vernon and disowning Dudley. Her caseworker told her that right now was the best time since she wouldn’t be dealing with Vernon’s attempts to stop her. After years of collecting evidence of the abuse she went through, she’d be able to leave that pig of a man and take her precious nephew with her. 

“I’m right here, Aunt Petunia.” Harry said as he walked down the hallway to the stairs. He smiled when he saw her and she ruffled his hair. 

“I’ll be heading out as soon as your babysitter gets here. Within the next couple of weeks, we should be able to move out of here and into a new home. Would you like that, my little lily? A home with just the two _‘THREE!’_ of us?” Petunia spoke softly. Her eyes looked a little distant, but Harry had been noticing that since Uncle Vernon was hospitalized. Aunt Petunia showed more emotions now, yet very little at the same time. 

“I would love that, Auntie. As long as we’re away from these two for good.” Harry said just as softly. He didn’t want to be here anymore. This house could burn to the ground for all he cared! _‘Remember little one, don’t speak too loudly while you heal.’_ Lily said, concerned. Harry nodded his head absentmindedly. His uncle had squeezed his neck so tightly that his throat was sore when he talked too loud. The doctor said that he’d be fine as long as he didn’t speak too loud for a week.

A knock sounded at the door and Aunt Petunia raced to answer it. When the door opened, there stood Severus Snape in all of his glory. Dressed fitting for the occasion, he was wearing a black turtleneck shirt along with a pair of black jeans. He gave a soft smile to Petunia.

“Hello, Tunie. You should be on your way now. Our little lily is in good hands.”

“Hello, Severus! Thank you for watching over our little lily. I’m sure he won’t cause you too much trouble.”

They switched places with Severus standing in the doorway and Aunt Petunia standing on the steps. They exchanged goodbyes and Severus closed the door behind her. He turned around and looked at Harry with kind eyes. 

“Hello, little lily.” He said very gently and opened his arms. 

With a grin on his face, Harry ran into Severus’ arms and gave him a big hug! Like always, Severus smelled like fire and lavender. It was an odd scent that brought Harry comfort. Ever since he met Severus, he had an odd feeling of comfort and safety. Harry knew that he could trust the man with his life if it came to it.

“Severus! Severus?! What are you doing here?!” Harry exclaimed in excitement. He rarely had the chance to see Severus after he had visited when Harry was younger. Whenever he did make an appearance, it was for a very short time because he had to get back to school.

“I’m here to watch you, of course.” Severus murmured as he let go of his charge. 

“Your aunt and I thought it’d be best if I came here to talk to you while she was out. I heard there are some things you're dying to know.” He guided Harry into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. He waited for Harry to get settled before he continued speaking.

“I thought today would be best, especially because of this...” Severus reached into his pants pocket and pulled out an envelope. _‘This is it! THIS IS IT! This is it, little one! HAHAHA!_ _YOU GOT YOUR LETTER~!’_ Harry’s mother shrieked in his head causing him to flinch ever so slightly. Severus leaned across the table and handed the thick envelope to him. Harry looked down at the front of the envelope to see it addressed to him!

**_Mr. H Potter_ **

**_The Spare Bedroom_ **

**_4 Privet Drive_ **

**_Little Whinging_ **

**_Surrey_ **

Harry’s eyes went wide and he snapped his head up to look at Severus. 

“T-This has my name on it!” He said excitedly.

“Of course it does. It’s for you. Go on and open it.”

Severus didn’t need to tell him twice as he ripped open the letter and eagerly pulled out its contents. Inside there were two pieces of thick paper _‘Parchment, dearest. They call it parchment’_ that had some writing on it.

> **_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_ **
> 
> **_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_ **
> 
> **_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_ **
> 
> Dear Mr. Potter, 
> 
> We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st. 
> 
> Yours Sincerely,
> 
> Minerva McGonagall 
> 
> (Deputy Headmistress)

Harry stared at the envelope in awe. He knew that his mother went to a special school, but a wizarding school?! Why hadn’t his Aunt Petunia mentioned that his mother was a witch?! _‘She wasn’t allowed to, remember, little one? The bad man was actually a bad...wizard. Now, listen to Severus.’_ Harry went to grab the second parchment when Severus cleared his throat. 

“Before you look at the school supplies list, I think it would be fitting if I explained things to you.”

“Oh, sorry…” Harry blushed when he realized that he wasn’t paying attention to Severus.

“Don’t apologize, little lily. The school as you can see is a school meant for witches and wizards. You, Harry, are a wizard. Your mother and father went to that school as well. You’ll learn all you need to know from spells to herbology. I’ll be your potions professor while you’re there, so please call me Professor Snape in the classroom.”

“Professor Snape?” Harry pouts, “That’s going to be strange to say, but I’ll do my best. Are potions fun? Can you tell me what we’ll be learning?” 

“If you follow my instructions, I’m sure you’ll find potions quite enjoyable. You’ll find out what you’re learning when class starts, but please do be prepared. Now. Let me tell you about your family. Your Aunt can only tell you things from her point of view. So, let me give you insight from your mother.”

Harry perked up and moved closer to the table, leaning as close as he could to Severus. 

Severus smiled and shook his head.

“First, let me explain the divisions in the Wizarding World. There’s the Light Faction, Neutral Faction, and the Dark Faction. The Light Factions is made up of families who only practice magic within a certain section. Light magic. This magic does not have dire consequences or strict rules to follow. It is easy and requires very little to no attention. On the other extreme of this is dark magic. It has rules and can have dire consequences if used incorrectly. There are higher chances of death and one must take precautions with it. Neutral magic falls in between these two with a chance of causing harm, but usually being safe. Are you following me so far?” Harry nodded his head and motioned for him to continue.

“Each Faction uses those dedicated types of magic with the Neutral Faction choosing to align with whichever suits them. The Potters, your father’s family, is a very old member of the Light Faction. They’re typically in law enforcement or become medi-witches. Evans on the other hand is one of the first members of the Dark Faction. Dare I say they helped to create such a faction.”

“The Evans family is a family lost to time. Your mother was the first witch of the line after decades. There was a habit of in-breeding many centuries ago, as many believed it would bring strong magic and keep gifts within families. It eventually wreaked havoc on the bloodlines causing horrible issues. But, your mother’s family managed to keep from in-breeding. It was something else that caused their line to die out.”

Harry looked at Severus in confusion and slight disgust. He knew what in-breeding means, his uncle would use it as an insult towards him. People actually did that?! ‘Unfortunately, it was very common’ And, if that didn’t wipe out the family line then- 

“What caused it?” He asked out loud.

“Wolves. One of the daughters was a very sickly girl. The doctors told her that she only had so much time left... So, on a walk one day she had come across a wolf that was injured. She knew she didn’t have much time left and wanted to do something good before she was gone. It was said that in an effort to save it, she bonded her magic with the animal’s soul. The wolf’s soul had attacked her magic and messed up the flow of magic causing it to reverse. The wolf died physically but merged with her spiritually. Instead of existing separately, they were now one. While that didn’t heal her sickness, it allowed her to successfully have children. The wolf's soul passed on to her children but their magic and minds weren’t prepared for it. It is rumored that the other wolves from the pack followed their mate’s lead. The daughter believed that her friends she thought of as family also earned a wolf’s soul from the pack because she felt a strange link to them.”

“So, the wolf’s soul took their magic? And- and caused them to go crazy? How did they find this out? If this follows what you said about the magic types, was the ritual dark magic? How did her friends get a wolf’s soul? ” 

Severus chuckled. Harry was very inquisitive and always liked to get all of the answers. Severus knew he wouldn’t be able to explain everything until Harry became fourteen and hopefully went through changes. 

“Yes, and no. Their magic couldn’t support the shift of having a shared Wizard/Animal soul. The instincts of a wolf fought with their human minds and effectively shattered them. It’s part of the reason you might have really violent thoughts. Although, that doesn’t mean you can support a wolf spirit. Their mother had left a tome detailing what happened to her physically and mentally after she passed. Throughout the centuries, her descendants wrote their own tomes as well. And yes, the ritual was dark magic. We’re not quite sure how they might’ve gotten to bond with the wolf’s soul, but it might have something to do with the nature of wolves and their pack mentality.”

“Your mother, Lily, was the first Evans to be born with enough magic to support her wolf. It is a very high probability that you have one as well. With your mother marrying into a stable pureblood family, it strengthened your chances.”

“...Severus? How do you know all of this? Did my mother tell you before she passed away?”

“...I was the one who helped her look for more information. When she found out she wasn’t just a witch, she wanted to know more. She took an inheritance test and discovered that Evans is the muggle version of the wizarding surname Evain. House Evain is a prestigious name, and I’m sure it’d show up on your inheritance test. Now, I believe I’ve said enough today.”

“Please tell me more! Please!”

“Not today, we’ve been discussing this for quite some time now. If I was to tell you anymore, I’m sure your mind wouldn’t be able to process it all. Your aunt should be here any minute. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to take you to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. Be ready by 8 am, okay?” 

Harry sighed disappointedly and nodded his head. He really wanted to know more now! But he could understand where Severus was coming from. It was a lot of information to sort through in a short amount of time. His head was sure to start spinning if he filled it with more information!

The sound of the front door unlocking caught their attention. Harry and Severus stood up and met Petunia in the hallway. She had tear tracks on her face and her hair seemed to be out of place. There was a look in her eyes that Harry couldn’t recognize, but he watched as Severus enveloped her in a hug. 

“How’d it go, Petunia?” Severus asked softly.

Petunia looked at the man and gave him a gentle smile as more tears started to slip from her eyes. Harry’s eyes widened and he rushed over to give her a hug.

“Aunt Petunia?” Harry questioned.

“..It went amazing.”


End file.
